Oh Happy Dames!!!!!

I finished stitching Examplar Dames Dames Boarding School this afternoon, thanks to my friends challenging me to stick with it!!!!!  I fell in love with this piece when Paulette's mom, Marsha, stitched it for her for Christmas last year.  I am so happy to have it finished, now to get it framed and on my wall :-).

It was stitched on Lakeside 40 count Meadow Rue with just a couple changes/substitutions (substituted CC Dublin Bay for WDW Kentucky Blue, GAST Avocado for WDW Hostas).

Next up for me is to finishing stitching With Thy Needle and Thread MJ Gardner!!!!  It's such a sweet piece and I have already made a lot of progress on it.

I hope everyone is having a very happy New Year and finding lots of time to stitch!

Happy Stitches!!!!

Katrina

Plans for the New Year and My Friends!!!!!!

I thinking making resolutions for the new year is a futile endeavor!!!!!  IMHO it's better to focus on an action.  My goal for the year is to accomplish more by making better use of my time.  I would like to spend more quality time with my family and friends, exercise more, do some things around my home I've been putting off,  and of course stitch more!!!!  A lot more this year than last.

That said I did have a few finishes last year that I still need to share!!!!!

top to bottom, left to right:  Plum Street Sampler Trim Keep, Goode Huswife Wintergreen Swan, Blackbird Designs New Love and Blackbird Designs Dear Friend

I am so blessed to have a close group of friends who all stitch too, we have stitching days, go away for weekends, text about life and all the fun things we are stitching and just generally have lots of fun!!!!!  The only problem is they are terrible enablers and when I think I have my stitching plans all worked out I get waylaid and sidetracked by their projects ;-).   

Take for instance the Scarlet Letter Year stitchalong, my projects were Elizabeth Sheffield, Mary Jones and Jenny Bean.  All samplers I would like to finish!!!!  Then Paulette dragged out her Ruth Bacheler again, Jen decided she had to start it too, and Karin got her's out, well I couldn't just not get my Ruthie back out could I???????  And since I was getting her out I decided to revamp the colors a tiny bit to suit myself!!!!!   Natalia is the most disciplined, she is waiting to start until we all work out the bugs, LOL.

Instead Natalia and I decided we would start Dona Dorothea together!!!!!  I am still patiently waiting for her to start ;-).  She's finishing another project up first.

We won't mention the Attic Needlework Ann Bower stitchalong that Jen convinced me to start and then dragged her poor mother into it too.  Okay, well maybe I texted Jen a bazillion times, begging her to play along with me but she definitely coerced invited her mother to stitch it too.  We'll save pictures of that for another post.

I tend to have serious startitis and a complete lack of follow through which has not escaped the notice of my friends!!!!  Last week I was moaning about how little I feel like I finish.  I won't name names but someone mentioned that if I would just stitch on the same piece for a week I might actually make some progress on the multitude of projects calling my name ;-).  Never one to turn down a challenge, I promptly agreed to work on Dames Boarding School for at least 7 days.  I have actually made some good progress and I am still stitching her.

With a little discipline and plenty of encouragement from my friends and fellow bloggers I hope that this year I will accomplish lots on the stitching front with several finishes!!!!!!!  I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and happy New Year and I look forward to seeing everyone's stitching in 2013 :-)!!!!!

Happy Stitches,

Katrina

I Need an Intervention...

I have a serious case of startitis :-).  The worst part is these are just the projects in my stitching bag.  I also have a basket of other projects, all started, in stitching wallets sitting next to me.  So you see I have issues, LOL.  

(left to right, top to bottom) My Stitching project wallets, SL Jenny Bean, WTNT MJ Gardner, BBD Sarah's House and Hannah Lovina, Smalls, Dames Boarding School, SL Elizabeth Sheffield, Paradise Lost, SL Mary Jones 1801

I hope everyone is almost ready for Christmas and you all will have at least one stitching present under the tree :-).  Thanks for taking time to read and comment on my blog, I so appreciate it.

Happy Stitches,

Katrina

The Best Laid Plans and Catching Up

I had grand plans of posting every week or so this year but life and a bit of slump got in the way!!!!!  Not that I haven't stitched anything, I have, mostly gifts which I will share in another post :-).

I learned to frame my own needlework, Natalia taught me.  My first attempt was Blackbird Designs Christmas Garden!!!!

I also framed Primitive Needle's A&E!!!!  I learned that the Weeks Dye Works 40 count linen is very stretchy and harder to pin.  I really had to work with the A&E to get it pinned straight, I think overall I did well.  The first picture is deceiving, it's actually even on both sides.

One of the things that has kept me very busy is my Sampler Guild, I am the Assistant to the VP of Programs so I spent the summer assisting and planning for our 2012-2013 program.  Our major project this year is a sewing box, that can be personalized.  A big thank you to Paulette from Plum Street Samplers for changing the verse on one of her free designs.  Here is my box so far!!!!!

I've worked a little bit on a lot of different projects, BBD Sarah's House, WTHT M.J. Gardner, PPS Paradise Lost, EFTH Dames Boarding School, I will share pictures in another post!!!  I have to save something for later ;-)!!!!!!

We've had a very busy year.  My DH and I have traveled a lot this year, DC, California, Germany and we are celebrating our anniversary next month in Hawaii.  I also went to Chicago to go to the Inspired Needle Retreat.  We got the happy news that we are going to be grandparents for the first time.  Our DS and his wife are expecting a baby in March.  We celebrated my parents' 50th wedding anniversary.  Life is good and I am thankful but sometimes my hobby has to take a backseat to everything else that is going on :-(.   I am hoping to do better and stitch more.  I have a huge list of projects I want to stitch!!!!  I hope you all are happy and healthy and finding lots of stitching time!!!!!

Happy Stitches,

Katrina

Happy Mother's Day

Remember when I posted about my new start for my mom :-)????  I am happy to say I have finished stitching her, the frame is ordered and I will give her to my mom today.  I decided to stitch my great-grandmother's name and the year she was born.

Blackbird Designs Eveline Cunningham, stitched as charted on mystery R&R Linen

I have several blog posts planned for the next couple weeks, my first attempt at framing my own pieces, thank goodness Natalia is a patient teacher :-), my current projects, plans for the summer and fall but those will have to wait for another day!!!!  I hope you all have a happy mother's day with at least a little stitching time.  We are blessed to have my mom and dad living close.  I will make dinner today for my parents, children and my DIL's mother.  My DH owes me a dinner out, LOL.  

Finally in honor of mother's day I thought I would share a favorite photo of my mom with me, I am the oldest, and my sister :-).

Happy Stitches!!!!!
Katrina

Blackbird Christmas Garden and Elizabeth McCully

Yea!!!!  I have finished Blackbird Christmas Garden :-).  What a fun piece to stitch, I loved all the motifs and I am very happy with the alphabet.  


Just a note, I've sent emails to everyone who asked for information on the change.  If you asked for it and didn't get it, I didn't have an email address or I got a reject when I tried to send it.  Please let  me know if you didn't receive an email and were expecting one!!!!

Next up for me is a present for my mom and another Blackbird piece, Eveline Cunningham!!!  I am going to stitch my great-grandmother's name, Elizabeth McCully, on it.  I hope it will go quickly, I need to start on a class piece for the Sampler Guild of the Rockies spring seminar. 

  
I hope everyone is happy and healthy and finding lots of time to stitch :-).  Thanks for taking time to read and comment on my blog, I so appreciate it.


Happy Stitches,
Katrina

A&E Finish

I finished Primitive Needle's A&E!!!  It's been sitting for a while, I was stitching it last year when Lisa died and just couldn't work on it.  I decided it was time to get it out again and put the last stitches in it.  I wish I had some wise thing to say but if this last year has taught me nothing else, it's that life is short and not everything makes sense.  I don't pretend to understand but I hope that I can remember Lisa through her designs and the things I have here that she stitched for me.  I think about her often and miss her and I trust that God has a plan for all of us. 

My New Cell Phone Background :-)

I used Crescent Colours, Gentle Arts, and Weeks on WDW 40 Count Beige to stitch this piece, it is a Shepherd's Bush conversion.  I am sure if you are interested you can call the shop and ask for it.  It's a lot different from the original, personally I love it because it's so much lighter and suits me.


Next up for me is Blackbird Design's Christmas Garden and Eveline Cunningham.  I am also going to learn to frame my own pieces, I am very excited about that :-).  I hope that everyone is having a wonderful Valentine's day!!!!

Happy Stitches,

Katrina

Alphabets and Beer Gardens

My last new start for January was Blackbird Design's Christmas Garden.  What a fun, fun piece.  I just love the colors and all the motifs.  The border is wonderful, it repeats itself which means once you know the pattern it's easy stitching :-).  

As pretty as the Christmas Garden was at the bottom, it just wasn't working for me.  Every time I saw that sort of stylized alphabet I couldn't help but substitute the word "beer" for "Christmas", LOL.  I also thought it would bother me to leave it out year around with Christmas stitched on it so I determined I was going to change it.  Initially I tried to convince Paulette that she should re-chart it for me, she very sweetly declined ;-).  I thought about what to do for a few days, reworking a design is not my strong point.  I also tend to be a bit of purist which means I need to use Blackbird motifs and alphabets so that it is still their piece.  I considered stitching a favorite sampler verse and while I was pondering that I realized there was such an easy solution, just add an alphabet :-).  I am very pleased with how it turned out.

So now it's back to stitching whichever design is calling my name the loudest.  I am determined to finish a couple pieces so that Natalia and Jen can teach me how to frame my own work.  I am so excited to learn.

It always makes me smile a bit when I am showing my stitching to someone and they ask me if they can touch it, LOL.  Not that I don't wash my hands before I start stitching and I generally try to be careful with my pieces but I don't worry too much.  Chloe in particular likes to lay on my work if I leave it on the ottoman :-).  

Hoping everyone is enjoying winter, we got dumped on yesterday, and finding lots of time to stitch!!!!  Thanks so much for taking time to read and comment on my blog.  Speaking of which, I thought it was time to change my look :-).  I am hoping to continue updating regularly but I hate to make promises, I don't want to jinx myself, LOL.  

Happy Stitches, 

Katrina 


p.s.  I am happy to share the alphabet particulars just be sure if you are no reply you leave me an email in the comment section and I will send close-ups of the stitching along with a general outline of how I stitched it.  I did a lot of counting and no charting, LOL.

A Confession and a New Start

I have to confess, I didn't actually start my new start on Sunday this week.  It took me until Tuesday to sit down and chose a project pull the threads and pick linen for my new piece.  I really wanted to start something for my mom.  She is an accomplished seamstress, I always remember her sewing clothes when I was growing up but she doesn't stitch.  She prefers to collect my stitching for her walls.  I haven't given her anything in quite a while.  Don't think I am a bad daughter, she seriously has as much of my stitching in her house as I do in mine ;-).  Here's my evidence and this is just one wall, she has pieces I've stitched for her over the years in almost every room (Maria P. Oliver, several Paula Vaughan's, Betsy Stinner, a couple more Blackbird pieces, and at least 5 or 6 others I can think of...).

  

The last piece I gave her was Blackbird Design Willow House as an anniversary sampler for her and my father.  I hesitate to actually include my dad in the gift giving because when I show up with a framed piece he normally walks around muttering about holes in the wall, LOL.  

I decided to stitch the bonus piece from the last Loose Feather chart for her.  I am going to put either my grandmother's or great-grandmother's name on it.

I didn't get a lot done because I've been stitching on a fundraiser for the Sampler Guild I belong too.  It's too cute but everything is secret until it's revealed to the guild :-).  I hope I can get back to the sampler for my mom soon.  

I thought I'd share a picture of my sweet puppies, Chloe and Sophie, just because I haven't in a while and I think they are just too cute, LOL.

So one more new start this weekend.  I have it kitted and ready to go, hopefully I will make lots of progress on it.  I really want to get back to a few other things in the next couple weeks.  Elizabeth is calling my name rather loudly :-). 

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my blog!!!!!

Happy Stitches,

Katrina

The Attic and New Starts

Attic Needlework Sampler Symposium Projects (Catherine Theron  piece missing, I didn't get a good picture of it)

What a fun weekend!!!!  I was blessed to spend the last few days with good friends, I so needed some girl time.  I haven't laughed that much in forever.  The Sampler Symposium was wonderful and I enjoyed all the workshops. Every morning and the occasional afternoon I made a Starbucks run.  It was a necessity for me, we all stayed up late and got up early, LOL.  I shopped at the Attic, went to the Symposium and had such a good time.  One of the highlights of the trip was going to Tanya's house.  She has finished the most gorgeous pieces, I left her beautiful home just wanting to stitch, stitch, stitch so I can cover my walls in samplers :-).  The Attic Needlework is a sampler lover's dream.  It's just wall to wall eye candy everywhere you look!!!!  

Paulette took this picture of me, she thought it was hilarious that I could drink my coffee and concentrate on stitching and shopping.  I feel the need to add that she went with me every morning to Starbucks ;-), LOL.  If you'd like to see more pictures of the shop, she has posted some on her blog.  

It goes without saying my stash was greatly enhanced!!!  I won't bore you with a list of what I added to my collection but there are few special finds I'd like to share.  When I saw Jean's model, I knew I had to stitch my Blackbird Designs Peacock Pinkeep just like hers, isn't it gorgeous???

I also added The Traveling Stitcher, E. Bloeser to my stash and much to Tanya's delight I decided to get 45 count linen for it.  Jean suggested I try Ball Pt. Bead Embroidery needles with a tapestry point.  They make stitching on the higher counts so much easier.  This piece is so special to me because all my friends stitched a few stitches on it.

Finally, I've been wanting to journal my stitching time so I got Needlework Press Book of Days 2012 to keep track of what I am working on.

Besides starting E. Bloeser at the symposium I also started my new piece for my January Challenge with Laurie, Plum Street Sampler's Eulalie Long.  I just love the colors, they are so bright.  

I only added a few stitches, Elizabeth is still my number one girl especially after seeing the model at the Attic and Jen's piece in person.  I am just in love with Miss Sheffield.

Attic Needlework's Elizabeth Sheffield Model

I am so grateful I was able to spend the weekend with friends I love and who are all so special to me!!!  I hope that everyone is finding lots and lots of time to stitch :-)!!!  Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog.

Happy Stitches,

Katrina

Margaret and Elizabeth

I am from good British stock, my maternal grandmother was born in Northern Ireland.  She lived there until she married my grandfather, who was from Oxford.  My mother left England when she married my father.  On my dad's side of the family my grandmother was born a Wallace and married a Brown :-).  I think because of my heritage I love old-fashioned English names, Margaret, Elizabeth, so my projects for this week are very dear to my heart.

My second January Sunday start was Margaret Cottam.  I am doing a January challenge with Laurie, we are starting a new project every Sunday this month.  I worked just a tiny bit on Margaret at my Sampler Guild meeting.

Margaret Cottam, started 8 January on 35 count WDW Cocoa with WDW threads

 Besides having a super busy weekend, I didn't get much done on Margaret because I am completely smitten with Elizabeth.  She's just gorgeous and I absolutely love her!!!  I wish I had more time this week to work on her but I did at least get my big green bird stitched and I am fast headed to the over one blue bird :-).

Scarlet Letter's Elizabeth Sheffield on R&R Straw stitched with Attic's Needlework's conversion

I will be back next week with my third January start and an update on the Attic Needlework's Sampler Symposium.  I can't wait!!!!  I've told my DH if he gets sick while I am gone I will smother him with a pillow, LOL.  Seriously, he is feeling great otherwise I wouldn't go.  Thank you all for the sweet comments on my last post.  I hope everyone is having a great 2012 and finding lots of time to stitch.

Happy Stitches, 
Katrina

A Look Back at 2011

Gosh has it really been 5 months since I updated my blog????  I don't know where to start, do I start at the beginning or work my way back through the year????  I normally don't share a lot of personal stuff on my blog but I don't know how to talk about this year without revealing something of my life.  

The year started happily, our son got married in March and we welcomed a sweet daughter-in-law to our family.  They decided to to do a weekend wedding in Las Vegas since JD was deploying in May.  They are settling into married life, JD is a Load Master in the Air Force Reserves and Krystal is a Pharmacist so they are busy with work and fun :-).  This is one of my favorite pictures of the two of them.

JD and Krystal

In May I finished Anniversaries of the Heart!!!!  I still love to look at it :-).  I sent it to Jill Rensel for framing and as always she did a beautiful job.

In June we got the call everyone dreads.  After a long battle with ovarian cancer, my FIL's wife had died at only 52 years old.  Cathy and my FIL would have been married 28 years today, they were such a devoted couple.  I loved her dearly, she was such a smart, wonderful, happy woman.  I miss her so much and honestly I still can't believe she is gone.  

Meggie, my DD, crushing grapes with Cathy, Cathy loved Halloween, my favorite picture of her and my FIL and a pretty picture of Cathy!!!!

Through the rest of the summer, I did manage to work a bit on some projects, Jane Tindall, Melicent Turner and the new Loose Feathers piece.

In between everything else my DH, Jeff, had been having steadily worsening issues with his gallbladder so in September we started going through all the testing and appointments to get it removed.  Unfortunately two days after the referral for the surgery was approved, several stones blocked his bile and pancreatic ducts causing pancreatitis necrosis.  He was admitted to the hospital in the beginning of October and 4 weeks later he was finally released to come home.  I won't go into the nitty, gritty details except to say he had numerous complications, lost over 40 lbs, and ended up with a very badly damaged pancreas.  It was very scary month for us.  The beginning of December he was readmitted to the hospital because of a high fever.  After a bunch of test we got a good news, bad news diagnosis, thankfully the pancreas hadn't gotten worse but his gallbladder was more inflamed.  Fortunately, we saw all the same doctors who had been with us through the entire ordeal after the original hospitalization and after another week in the hospital and a three hour surgery to remove a ruptured gallbladder he is on the mend and feeling much better.  We can see God's hand through all of this, we were blessed with wonderful doctors, a miraculous recovery, and the help of family and friends, things could have been so much worse!  Because Jeff was very ill and I was so worried and at the hospital almost all my waking hours I didn't get much done stitching wise.  When I could concentrate enough to pick up my needle I tended towards small projects.  I have lots of new scissor fobs ;-).

Thankfully things have calmed down a bit and I found time to start a new project on Christmas weekend!  I fell in love with Examplars of the Heart Dames Boarding School after seeing it on Paulette's blog.  Her mom, Marsha, stitched it for her.  I only made a tiny start on it, we had my DH's parents here for Christmas along with my parents, our kids and friends so it was a busy weekend.

I am hoping and praying for a much quieter 2012!!!!  I have sorted through my projects and prioritized things for the new year :-).  My friend Laurie has convinced me to start a new project every weekend in January.  This weekend I am going to start Elizabeth Sheffield.  I love how bright the colors are and the sweet colonial couples and birds.  It's just gorgeous.  I am using the Attic conversion on a gorgeous cut of R&R Straw.

Next weekend I will share my progress on Elizabeth and my new start.  I also have several gifts I've received through the year and one I made for my friend Karin :-).  

Praying a wonderful, happy, stitchy 2012 for everyone!!!!!  I hope this finds you all well and enjoying your holidays.

Happy Stitches,

Katrina